Letting You Go
by HiddenSunrise24
Summary: For England, it's that dreaded day again: the 4th of July. However this year someone special is there to help him and maybe that's all the encouragement he needs to finally put the past behind him. Established EngMano with implied UsUk.


Letting you go

**I actually don't know what brought this on. I just kinda wrote it and, well, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys think so too so please have a read and tell me what you think.**

Silently he watched as the crystal clear rain fell from the sky and trickled in little patterns down his windows. The skies were dark with large grey clouds that refused to move for the moment, pelting the ground below it with a soft rainfall. In his house it was wonderfully warm however England knew that the cool and depressing weather outside was how he truly felt on the inside. Emerald eyes slowly moved from watching the raindrops creep down his window over to the calendar on the wall behind him. His eyes latched onto one date in particular; todays date: July 4th. From inside England felt the darkness he felt for this day drag his heart down into its depths, not allowing it to see the warmth and light until the day had passed. It happened every year on the very same day that still managed to make his heart break. On that day his heart had been shattered into a million pieces and it still hurt, even if his heart had managed to slowly piece up the remaining shards enough to be in the same room as the younger American nation who was responsible for his pain. Suddenly a beige uniform blocked his view causing the Brit to look up to meet with golden brown eyes that flickered with green.

"You can't sit and mope all day," Romano said softly with warm eyes that bare nothing of his normal snappy attitude. If England wanted to smile he couldn't, his mood and the weather outside stopped him. Instead he just turned back around to where he had his arms folded on the windowsill and placed his chin upon his folded arms to watch the rain fall. "Look at what you're doing to the weather; are you trying to depress the whole of Britain?"

"I do apologise…" England muttered, his eyes focused on two raindrops that snuggled together to create an even larger drop. A sigh came from behind him as Romano plopped down on the small seat beside the Brit.

"I know you're hurting, I can see it; heck we all see it every single year but you need to stop. Not only are you getting others depressed, myself included, but you're only making yourself worse. You've worked so hard to get this far, don't lose all of that because of one day each year, it's not worth it." England sighed this time; Romano was making sense. The Brit turned his back to the window and brought he knees up on the seat with them, wrapping his arms around them and placing his head in his knees.

"I know but…"

"Don't make this harder than it is England… you're a good man and you did all that you could do but America did what he needed to do too and now look at him. Instead of focusing on what was before that time look at the events after it." Romano got up from his seat and walked over to the fireplace where the fire was crackling and grabbed a photo frame before sitting back beside the Brit and nudging his arm. When Emerald eyes emerged from their hiding spot the Italian held the photo in front of him. "Look at who you raised," he said softly. A small smiled cracked onto England's lips as he took the photo from Romano and held it in his own two hands. The image was framed by a golden border, engraved with carvings of ivy. Inside the frame was an image of only two people, one being himself and the other being America. The photo was taken only a couple of years ago but the two were smiling. America's arm was slung around England's shoulders and he was smiling brightly with thumbs up at the camera. England also had a smile however it was more toned down that America's but he looked happy. A small tear rolled down the Brit's pale cheek but he soon wiped it away before bringing the frame close to his chest and holding it. Romano gently rubbed the Brit's back before kissing the side of his head. "He still loves you and he always will even I can see that and I'm Italian, we're supposed to be oblivious flirts remember?" Both nations chuckled before Romano continued. "I understand why you still hurt and I understand how hard it is to let that little blue eyed boy go but look-" The Italian went and got another photo frame this time it held only an image of America in. The American was dressed in a full military uniform and was stood saluting to the camera, his big white smile standing out a mile away. "- look at who he is now… you did this. You raised him this way and he's following in your shadow."

"Huh?" England frowned at this, turning to face the Italian who smiled and stroked his cheek softly.

"He's a solider, and soldiers carry on fighting just like you have all these years." England eyes welled with tears before they finally burst and a few came rolling down his cheeks. Quickly the Italian opened his arms and allowed his British boyfriend to fist his uniform as he cried into his chest. Once the Brit was done he sighed and smiled.

"Thank you Romano, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be lost that's what, now go!" Romano pushed on England's shoulder, helping him up. As soon as he was on his feet, the blonde sent another shy smile back at Romano before grabbing something off the table in the living room and dashing out the door. As soon as the door shut Romano got up and looked out the window to watch as England ran down the streets, carefully dodging the public on the wet pavements. A smile fell upon the southern Italian's lips as he looked into the sky to see the clouds had lightened and the sun was fighting its way through them.

England ran as fast as his legs could take him as the sun began to break through the clouds, only making it a few times before the heavy clouds came back over and buried the sun beneath them. Forest green eyes focused dead ahead, his thick eyebrows furrowed into a determined scowl. When the building he was after came into view England sprinted faster. The building was in fact a hotel; a large and fancy hotel. He knew the boy would be in there celebrating along with all the other countries as the meeting was held here in England of all places on such a day when everyone knew how down the Brit became. With a low grunt the Brit propelled himself forward into the hotel, giving the receptionist a friendly smile, before working his way towards the meeting room.

Every nation that was attending this meeting was gathered into the larger conference room for America's birthday celebration. The tables had been pushed to the side and used as a buffet filled with different foods from all around the world alongside plenty of drinks. America was having a blast as he stood over by the buffet; a happy smile plastered onto his face as he stood talking to Prussia and his brother. Canada was smiling shyly but behind the smile and the glasses covering his eyes he was hiding the fact that he still remembered what happened to them this day all those years ago. It may not have been as heart breaking for him as it were England but it was still heart retching to go against his own brother in war. The Canadian had soon put that all behind him so he could get close to his brother again, something he knew England had yet to do… until now. Suddenly the door burst open and every nation turned in that direction, their mouths falling in shock and gasping at the man stood breathless against the wooden frame. There was only 1 person they didn't expect to see here and that was England so seeing the Brit panting at the entrance to the room was a shock to every nation, especially the birthday boy himself. Quietly America moved through the group of nations until he was stood at the front of the group facing the exhausted Brit.

"E-England?" He asked, breaking the eerie silence of the room… Even Canada still had his mouth slightly open only to have it shut for him by Prussia.

"G-G-Give me a m-moment boy," puffed England as he caught his breath. Once he was full of enough oxygen the blonde stood properly and looked at everyone in the room gaping at him. Thick eyebrows furrowed into a thick frown as he glared at those closest to the front, lingering a little longer on France than anyone else. "What are you all bloody staring at? Was I not invited?" he folded his arms acting normal as America shook his head.

"O-Of course you were invited dude, we just didn't expect you to show up that's all."

"Well I have, now get back to it!" England snapped causing every nation to burst into conversation in their little groups about why the Brit had shown up and how they all fought he was dealing about today's event. America stayed glued to the spot, still in shock, as England moved through the crowds towards him; nobody quite noticed how Romano slipped into the crowds behind the Brit.

"H-Hi," England smiled shyly as he stopped in front of America. Now he was here what was he supposed to do? Oh yeah! The thing he picked up on the way out the house. "Um… I got you something."

"You got me something? Really?" America gasped, his cerulean blue eyes widening in both excitement and shock.

"Well it's not like I forget your birthday is it?" he chuckled to himself as he searched around in his pockets for it, once he found it taking a moment to let the item sit in his slightly cool hands from outside.

"But you never give me a present in person; it's always someone else who gives it to me from you, usually Canada."

"Why yes Canada is a good messenger," England smiled before going shy against and simply forcing his hand out in front of him to America. "Um…T-This… this is yours… happy birthday." America let out a small excited gasp as he looked down into England's palm. Sat in his delicate was a woven bracelet however it held little charms along with it. The main charm was a large eagle carved out of wood, each little feather carved accurately into the charm including the eye which seemed to be a small blue gem. On one side of the eagle were a cage and the other a cloud, both carved expertly out of wood. Between the cage and the eagle hung a small emerald and separating the eagle from the cloud also hung a gem this time a beautiful blue the colour of America's eyes. Carefully the younger nation reached his arm out to the Brit who held the charm, his eyes also watching it. The room around them seemed to go silent as America picked the gift from his former guardians hand and held it in his own. "I… I made it myself," England rubbed his arm nervously, taking a glance at the taller nation to meet with blue eyes that were clearly grateful with admiration.

"You made this?" He asked looked back down at the bracelet then England again.

"Um yes. I like to carve things and when I carved them I thought of you and your birthday was coming up so I wove a bracelet for them to hang from. I-If you don't like it I can take it back."

"Are you kidding? Dude its beautiful," America beamed a smiled at him before sliding and tightening the bracelet around his wrist and holding it in front of the Brit. A silence fell over them as England watched his gift sit around his ex-colonies wrist a sense of pride coming over himself.

"Thank you, it tells a story you know. I story I want you to know and keep as a message from me."

"Yeah? What is it?" America asked a confused frown on his face as England gently took his wrist and pointed at each item, keeping his eyes focused on the charms instead of the blue eyes watching him carefully. England blushed slightly but took in a shaky breath and began his message to America; the room now completely silent but the two nations continued obliviously. Romano stood just at the front of the crowd watching his boyfriend finally do this, it needed to be done and now the Brit could live again and he could make England happy even on the 4th of July.

"W-Well, the cage represents the past. It's the cage you thought constricted you and took away your freedom and the charm shows that you used to live in that cage like a bird. The emerald is supposed to be me and the eagle and the blue topaz is you. I made you an eagle because they're strong and fly high in the sky with no restrictions or worries, they're just carefree animals and had never ending amounts of freedom… just like you," England said softly as he came to the last charm of a cloud.

"W-What's the cloud?" America stuttered, his heart strings being tugged on as he heard the story behind the amazing gift. Now every little detail made sense apart from the cloud. England lifted his eyes and slowly but surely the colour of the ocean was formed as green met blue and England wrapped his hand around America's in a gentle squeeze before letting go. A tear formed in his eyes as he kept his eyes contact knowing America's hand fell back to his side. This was it; all these years of grieving… now England accepted it but it was still hard. Taking in a short breath he smiled the best he could as he looked up into those blue eyes he knew and loved so much, blinking back the tears

"That's me letting you go…"

**A/N: So there we have it! I'm pretty proud of this to say I have no idea how this came to be. Please leave a review as it helps me see if you guys actually like the things I write. Well I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this.**

**Thank you!**


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